Automatic car-stopper.



G. A. STBAW.

AUTOMATIC OAR S TOPPER.

APPLICATION 212.21) APB..4, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEHT l.

f y zzffqwgfi I I f/w f C. A. STRAW.-

AUTOMATIC GAR STOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED 1mm, 1912.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

wmmw M v U N m CHARLES A. STRAW, OF LANSFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 4, 1912. Serial No. 688,479.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. STRAW, a citizen of the United States, residing in Lansford, county of Carbon, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Car-Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in mine hoists in which empty cars are run onto a mine cage and loaded cars are run oil the mine, cage or vice versa.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic car stop which will automati-' cally center andseeure the cars on the cage and which can be actuated so as to allow the cars .to be pushed off of the cage, after the cage has been brought to a standstill and held by the cage keeps. This object I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1, is a side view of a mine cage, showing the shaft section; Fig. 2, is a plan view; .Fig. 3, is a sectional view on the line 3%, Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a view illustrating a modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, A is the pit in which the cage B travels. This cage con sists of a plat-form and side members B and a cover B in the present instance. On the platform of this cage are rails b?) over which the cars travel. These rails, when the cage is in the elevation position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, aline with the rails 9-9 at each side of the pit, so that a loaded car can be removed. from the cage and an empty car 7 run upon the cage in position to be lowered into the pit. On the platform of the cage are bearings (Z, upon which are pivot pins (5 supporting the car stops DD'-four in the present instance. Two stops DD being on the loading side of the cage and two stops D'D being on the discharge side of the cage. These stops have hooked ends 03, which engage the axles c of the cars C. The

wheels 0 of these axles travel on the rails 5-42. 1 When a car is lowered on a cage, the normal position of the ear stops D-D is that of engagement with the axles of the car so as to hold the car centrally and securely on the cage. The car stops D are provided with a weight D andthe car stops D are provided with a weight D This latter weight can be held by mechanism described hereafter, while a car is being removed from a cage, but the other weight is free to swing. Consequently, the car stop D is turned on its pivotwhen a car is transferred to a cage and immediately reassumes its normal; p0sition in engagement with one axle of the car. The other stops in the meantime are in the raised position so as to preventthe car from moving forward to a greater extent than necessary. When the cage reaches the upper level and a car is to be removedfrom the cage, the cage is held by the pivoted keeps. Thus, the rails of the cage are broughtinto alinement with the fixed rails at each side of the pit. I

In the present instance, the keeps are constructed as follows :On oneside of the pit A is a bearing E for ashaft e and secured to this shaft are two keeps F having flanged ends which rest under the edge of the cage, as illustrated in Fig. 1. On the opposite side of the pit isa bearing E for ashaft e to which are attached two keeps F, having flanged ends which extend under the cage. Loosely mounted on the shaft between the two keeps is a third keep F having wings f which overlap the keeps F sothat while the center keep can be withdrawn with the keeps F, it has a movement independent of'the two keeps for a purpose described hereafter.

In order to operate the kee s in unison, I provide a hand'lever H, whie is pivoted at k to a suitable bearing and this lever is connected. by a rod 72. to one arm ofa bell-crank lever H. The other arm of this lever is Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

connectedby a short rod b to one arm of direction of its arrow, both sets of keeps are withdrawn to' allow the cage to be lowered. In order to lower the car stops D on the discharge side of the cage when it is desired to remove the car from the cage, I rovide a weight D with an extension 03 w ich projeets over the central keep F so that when the keep is moved in the position lllustrated in Fig. 1, it holds the weight in the raised position illustrated in said figure, and, consequently, the stops D are held clear of the aXle c of the car so that the ear is free to be moved from the cage, but-,- as this car is re moved, another car takes its place. The movement of the car as it enters the cage is limited and, therefore, stop shall assume its normal position before the incoming car is fully in position. I so construct the weight or the car stop that it will be engaged by the central. keep and when this central keep is withdrawn, the weight drops and allows the stops D to assume their normal position. In order to antomatically operate this central keep 1 connect it by a rod n to a lever N pivoted at n and having a weight if. One arm of this lever is in the path of the axle of the car as it leaves the cage so that the moment the leading axle comes in contact with the lever N it moves said lever in the direction of its arrow, Fig. 1, and releases the weight I). Consequently, the stops assume their original position; the rear axle of the car having passed the stops before the front axle acts upon the lever N.

In Fi n 4, I have illustrated a modification of the invention in which the two keeps F, F and the keep l are operated from a lever H on the delivery side of the pit;

the keeps being connected together so as to work in unison by rods and a t\\ 'o-a'rmed lever i A separate rod i extends to the lever ll from one or both of the side keeps F; while a rod 11 connects the central keep F with a. lever N actuated by the car axle as it leaves the cage. 0

It will be seen by the above construction 'that' when the cage is raised to the month of the pit it is carried above the ends of the keeps. The keeps are then moved under the cage, as the cage is lowered, so as to bring the rails of the cage in line with the rails at the mouth of the pit. The central keep F engages the weight l) ol? the (:ar stops 1), and. consequently, as the cage is lowered the car stops l) are moved clear of the. forward axle of the car so that the car can be pushed-(ill ol' the cage. ;\s the car pushed oll', its torward axle engages an arm of the lever X and this lever actuates the central keep I so as to draw it from under the weight l rausing the car stops D to be in line with the l'orward axle of the oncon'iii'ig car; the rea' axle of the car being removed from the cage-lhc slop having been ')assc l- ---and, as the incoming car passes onto the cage, it automatitailly depre. s the :ar st ps 1). which assume a position directly back of the rear axle, while the stops I) assume a position in l'ronl. ol' the forward axle, Thus, while one ear is removed the other car is placed in position and rigidly hold while the cage is lowered. I

I claim:

third keep loosely mounted 1. The combination ol a cage: two earl stops on ward and the other the rear axle on a car; with means for hol the cage; means for moving th t .vard car stop out ol tho path of the car; and means actuated by the the cage; one engaging the tor it is essential that the I car, as it leaves the cage, to allow the forard car stop to return to its normal position.

2. The con'ibination of a cage; two pivotall mounted and weighted car stops on the cage; keeps pivotallv mounted at the side of the pit and arranged to lmgage the cage; one of said keeps engaging one of the weighted car stops; means for flC'llldllllg the keeps to allow the cage to be lowered; and automatic means, actuated by a, car leaving the cage, to withdraw one of the keeps to release the car stop and to allow it to return to its normal position to limit the movement of an iucondng car on the cage.

3. The combination of a cage; a. track thereon; two pivotally mounted and weight ed car stops; one engaging the rear axle of a car and the other engaging the :lorward axle; pivoted keeps mounted at the side of the shail t and arranged to extend under the cage; the keeps on one side being made in sections: one of said sections engaging the weight of a forward car stop: a weighted, pivoted lever on the dischz'ngc side ot the pit and connected to said se tion of the keep engaging the stop so that as: the car is pushed oll' of thecage, it will strike the lever and will release the car stop; allowing it to return to its normal position.

i. The combination ol a cage: :1 track thereon; two pivotally mounted and weighted cars stops; one at each side of the car; one adapted to engage lhe rear axle of a rar and the other adapted to engage the forward axle; the stops engaging the rear axle being free to swing as a car moved onto the cage; with keeps pivolally mounted on opposite walls o't the pit to retain the rage in the raised position; side being made in three sections; the center Hti'lltlll being arranged to engage the car on the discharge side of tho cage; lever in the path (it the car axle and con net-led to the said central keep so that when the keeps are in position the l'orward car stop is lowered to allow the car to be pushed oil of the cage; and as it is pushed oll', it will engage the lever and will release the torwa rd car stop so that it will engage the l'orward axle ol an incoming car.

a. The coinhiiiation of a. rage: pivoted car tops mounted on each side ol the cage; one set engaging the forward axle and the other set engaging the rear axle ol a car; lwo shal'ls; one mounted at each side ol the pit; a k ep secured to one shaft; and two keeps z-ecured to the other shall; with a. on said latter shalt between the other two keeps and having wings extei'uling over the other two keep hanrl-operated means tor moving the keeps into and out oi. position; a central sl ops hohfling it out ot the path of the car axle;

assume its normal an arm within the path of the car and connected to the central section of the keep so that, as a car is pushed from the cage, it actnates the keep through-the level" and releases the forward car stop, :illowing it to 0 position in the path of an incoming ar.

CHARLES A. STEAK? \Vitnesses T. D. LEWIS, S. V. TENCH. 

